Hire Only Those Who Want to Work for You

I know that most managers like to pride themselves on getting things done, basically being "closers" when it comes to sales, hiring and so forth. Nevertheless, when it comes to hiring, one thing to keep in mind is that you don't want anyone working for you who in hindsight regrets the decision. Sure, the job can end up being horrible or you as a boss are a total nightmare. These are not the things I am addressing (that's your problem to work on).

Oftentimes though, people are not ready to take a certain step in their career. They may not be ready to move to management. Maybe they feel like they're involved in a project they want to finish and bring to completion. Relocation isn't always something people are open to. Lateral career steps also are tough to do as I recently wrote. One way or another, you may have someone on your hands who thinks they've been forced to take a job or feel like they've been "talked into it". Bad idea!

As much as you want to recruit someone to your team or for a project, focus on the role and the person you are putting into it. Just being focused on the "deal", i.e. getting the person to sign your contract, is not the right thing to focus on. Don't be "this guy" when it comes to hiring:

You want a fit on both ends. Whomever you hire should be burning with desire for the job. They should want to get up in the morning and get to the office. They need to be engaged in what their task at hand is. You don't want someone who continually second guesses their decision to join your team or take on a specific role. Further, you don't want them second guessing your decision to hire them or reposition them. This will kill the working relationship faster than you can react.

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Have the discussion about goals and why the person is deciding to do what they are deciding to do beforehand. Let them know why you're doing so too before signing contracts. Ask the tough questions regarding motivation, fears, alternatives and so forth. I'm floored often by how little managers find out about the people they are recruiting. Sure, you can always fire people later on but who wants to do this. It's not a fun process and both sides end up suffering. The employee has to go find another job and you have to replace them. Further, whatever work suffered as a result of this decision has to be caught up on. Be compassionate to the people whom you plan on hiring or repositioning. Have a talk above and beyond the sales pitch for the position. Get to know them and make sure they know you and why you want them on board.